School Play
by richonnelove1
Summary: A Grimes Family 2.0 one-shot where Rick has to get his priorities in order, or else…A little fluffy moment because I miss them, and will always believe they deserve better and if AMC is gonna drag their feet to bring us their reunion, I'll help keep their love alive on FF.


**A Grimes Family 2.0 one-shot where Rick has to get his priorities in order, or else…A little fluffy moment because I miss them, and will always believe they deserve better and if AMC is gonna drag their feet to bring us their reunion, I'll help keep their love alive on FF. **

**Please enjoy, comment, and favorite if you are so inclined! **

"Baby, I'm going into a meeting. I can't deal with this right now…" Rick states exasperatedly.

"Ohh, okay. I'm sorry Richard, I didn't realize we got to take breaks. Last I checked I told you I was done taking breaks and you agreed. I do believe that was solidified when I agreed to marry your old ass, and mother your children, and currently dealing with the bodily changes of bringing _ANOTHER_ one of _YOUR_ children into the world. But _YOU_ can't deal with this right now…okay."

And with that Michonne hung up the phone on her husband. The couple has been married for 10 years. They met soon after Rick's ex-wife Lori took off, leaving him with one young child to father on his own. Their union started off as friends, then the natural progression led them to where they are now. "Blissfully" married with three kids, and one more on the way. Rick is the town Sheriff, and Michonne the DA. Having two incredibly demanding careers on top of being the best possible parents and lovers that they can be leaves little to no room for sanity. A lack of sanity along with Michonne being 5 months pregnant is a terrible combination if you've ever known one.

"Shit" Rick thinks to himself as he realizes that his wife has hung up on him. "Carol" he calls to his trusty assistant and friend.

"Yes Sunshine?" she says amusingly.

"Cancel my meeting with the mayor please" he asks as he begins to pack up his office for the day.

"Will do chief. Should I also order some flowers to be sent to her office?" as she already knows the routine. Whenever Rick fucks up, Carol is there to assist him in fixing his blunder.

"Have them ready for me to pick them up on my way, I think a delivery would have me sleeping in my car rather than on the couch which is what I'm currently anticipating" Rick states.

"Got it. Well hopefully, you showing up will make the necessary amends. I don't think any of us can handle you not getting a good night's rest."

"Yeah hopefully"

**Meanwhile at KC Elementary…**

"But he promised he would be here mommy!"

"I know baby, but he had an important meeting that he couldn't miss." Michonne says as she bends down to brush her baby girl's curls back into place. "Hey, look at me. Our whole family is here, mama and pawpaw, Carl, RJ, all your aunties and uncles…"

"But they aren't daddy!" and with that Judith storms off to the bathroom and locks herself away.

'_I'm gonna kill him'_ Michonne thinks to herself as she rubs her protruding belly. Judith and her kindergarten class have been rehearsing for their end of year play for months. Judith being the outgoing child she is landed a lead role in the play and has been anxiously awaiting the day that she could show her family and friends all she's been practicing. Rick being the non-planner that he is, double-booked himself and scheduled a meeting with the Mayor knowing what today meant to Judith._ 'I am too pregnant for this shit' _Michonne thinks out loud as she waddles to the bathroom to try and get her baby out before the show starts.

**Meanwhile in the audience…**

"Did you reach him?" Mae Grimes asked her husband as he sat back down in his seat with an exhausted sigh.

"Nah. But I called the office and Carol said that he headed out about 45 minutes ago and cancelled his meeting with the Mayor" Gene Grimes responded to his wife.

"Good. Honestly Gene you need to have a word with him! I don't know when he got his priorities so mixed up" Mae continued to ramble, whilst Gene gave the attentive answers letting his wife know that he was listening but not really listening. "And to leave all this responsibility on my poor daughter-in-law who is pregnant! I should beat him when I see him."

"I'll speak with him dear" he responded when he was sure she was done ranting.

"Yeah you better" she side eyes her husband knowing full well she'll still have to give her son her two cents.

**A few seats away…**

"Dad is gonna get it" Carl whispers to his younger brother RJ as they both giggle at that expense of their father.

"He sure is" RJ responds.

"Hey, you two cut it out!" both look up to see the row of their aunts and uncles shaking their heads at their antics, even if they know their words to be true.

"They aren't wrong…" says Andrea as she rolls her eyes at her husband Shane who is trying to be an authoritative figure to his nephews while also trying to be a loyal friend to Rick in his absence, granted there isn't much he can do to defend his friend at this point.

"They sure aren't!" says Sasha a few seats away. Her husband Daryl rubs her back knowing how easily worked up she can get over her Goddaughter.

"Calm down baby, he'll be here" he says hopefully.

"Yeah he better! My god baby has been working so hard, if he disappoints her, I'll hurt him" she finishes with a huff.

"You'll have to beat Mama Grimes and Michonne to the punch…literally" Maggie adds her two cents from the opposite side of her fiancé Glenn. With that final remark the group all bust into a fit of giggles.

**Outside KC Elementary… **

Rick made it just in time to park and take off running towards the auditorium to find his family and seat, with flowers in tow for not only Judith and Michonne, but also his mama. God forbid he hurt either of his girls' feelings, he wouldn't hear the end of it from his mama and thus needed to ensure a peace offering for the scolding that was sure to come. Especially since he ignored his daddy's phone calls to focus on getting to the school in time.

"Sheriff, you made it just in time. I was about to lock the door" Leon Basset the school security guard states letting Rick in as he locks the final door behind him. KC is a safe town, but safety of future generations is a top priority at all times. Especially with half of the police force off duty for the school production.

"Thanks for keeping the door unlocked Leon" Rick says in passing to the auditorium.

"No problem sir, I'd say you made it just in time to help your wife pry your little lady out of the bathroom backstage." Leon adds as a heads-up to the Sheriff, "good thing you brought flowers" he mumbles to himself as Rick has already taken off to find Judith and Michonne.

**Inside the Auditorium…**

The play was set to start in about 10 minutes, all the commotion before had quieted down as everyone anxiously waited for the production to start. With the soft murmur of quiet conversation, it was easy for everyone to notice the auditorium doors swing open and none other than Sheriff Rick Grimes running through the doors headed straight towards the door that leads backstage.

"Yeah…he had better have brought flowers" Mae states in a huff as she sits back into her seat.

The group all bust into quiet giggles as they can only imagine what Rick is going to have to deal with backstage.

**Backstage…**

"Judy-bug, please come out of the bathroom. Mommy will be sad if she can't see her special girl in the play" Michonne pleads.

"No!" is all she can hear behind the locked door.

'_When did you become so stubborn'_ Michonne thinks to herself, as she tries to figure out a way to get her baby out of the bathroom so this show can start.

"Baby, what will it take to get you out the bathroom? Hm? What can mommy do?"

"Find daddy!" and with that final statement, Michonne can hear the trembles of tears in her daughters voice _'I'm gonna kill him'_.

Just as Michonne is going to try again to knock, fully prepared to beat this door down five months pregnant and all to get to her daughter, she can feel his presence before he even reaches to squeeze her shoulder. Without as much of a sideways glance in his direction, Michonne stands from her kneeling position to let her ass of a husband take over and save the day.

Rick knows he's in some deep shit when Michonne doesn't even acknowledge his existence when he squeezes her shoulder to let her know he's there to help. Instead he watches as she stands from her kneeling position and moves away from the door so he can begin his damage control. He places the flowers on the ground next to him and prepares for battle with his headstrong daughter.

"Judy…baby girl? It's daddy, can you come out and talk to me?" He pleads.

"NO!" Judith shouts from behind the door. Michonne can't help but smirk knowing that her daughter is exactly like her. She wanted her daddy there, but it doesn't mean he isn't going to have to work for it. Michonne has to catch her smirk as Rick turns around to look at her for assistance, but Michonne stands there and shrugs her shoulders. This is his mess and he is going to have to fix it.

Rick can't help but feel slighted that Michonne isn't helping him, but he knows deep down this is his fault. Far too often since he was elected as sheriff has Michonne had to pick up his slack, he's always been there for the aftermath, never for the actual battle. In this moment he has so much respect for his wife, and vows to do better and be better, for his family.

"Baby girl…Daddy is so so sorry. Can you come out here and tell Daddy what he can do to make it better? Please?"

There's a solid two minutes of silence as Rick stares at the door separating him and his girl, if she makes him wait much longer, he'll beat the door down. Just as he is about to remove his suit jacket, he hears the click of the door being unlocked. He bends down as the door opens with arms wide open to greet his youngest, but to his chagrin Judith beelines for Michonne. Rick takes a deep breath before he turns around to face the two-on-one that's about to go down.

Rick turns to see two sets of brown eyes staring him down, one set showing hurt and disappointment, the other showing pure annoyance. He knows he'll have to smooth things over with Michonne later, but right now Judith has to be his priority.

"Judy? Can you please forgive Daddy so we can go enjoy your show and see how hard you've worked?" he bends down on his knees, so he is eye-level with his arms open wide hoping she takes the invitation. As she contemplates, they can all hear the school principals voice over the mic welcoming guests and announcing the start of the play. Judith doesn't come on until about 5 minutes into the play, so Rick knows he has to work fast.

"How about, you go out on that stage and do the play, and when it's over we can have a full family fun night? We can order pizza, and watch movies, and you can even have a sleepover with Mommy and Daddy, how's that sound?" Rick offers his best deal.

Michonne rolls her eyes at his last offer of a sleepover, in their bed knowing how wild of a sleeper Judith is, but at this point if it gets her on stage and Michonne to her seat she'll go with anything Rick offers. As Michonne looks down she sees that Judith is looking at her to see if this is the best offer, as if Michonne is her legal counsel. Michonne has to admit it's a pretty good deal that Rick is offering, but of course she can't let him know that. So, she decides to sweeten the deal in her favor.

"How about on top of a family fun night Daddy also offers a Daddy Daughter day tomorrow for just the two of you?" with that Judith's eyes light up, and she looks at her dad expectantly for him to accept the counteroffer.

Rick can't help but chuckle as he shakes his head at his lawyer wife and future litigator of a daughter. He isn't sure what he's going to do with another daughter, who will probably be as headstrong as his loves in front of him, but he'll make it work. Rick realizes that Judith is waiting for him to accept her offer.

"If Daddy can get a hug and a kiss you've got a deal!" and with that Judith rushes into his arms.

**Later that night…**

Judith did excellent in her play. She remembered all of her lines and quite frankly was the best in the whole production, but her family was biased. After a stern talking to on how to be a better husband and father from his mother, Rick and the Grimes family headed back home to commence Family Fun Night. Pizza was devoured, movies were watched, laughs were had, and memories were made. Tomorrow Judith and Rick would have breakfast at the diner and then head into Atlanta for a day at the aquarium, one of Judith's favorite activities. Seeing how exhausted Michonne was, all evening, Rick knew she needed and deserved the rest tomorrow, and in his mind was also planning a Mommy and Daddy day for the two of them to reconnect.

The boys retreated to their rooms halfway through the second movie. Michonne headed off for a shower after she checked on the boys, and once he was sure she was good and sleep, Rick carried Judith to her bed in hopes that she was so tuckered out she would last in her room all night. Especially since he and Michonne hadn't had a time to talk. Michonne was as cordial as she could be towards Rick during and after the play, but she was still pissed that he once again let his priorities get mixed up.

When he entered their master bedroom, he could hear her electric toothbrush going from behind the closed bathroom door. He stripped from his suit into some pajama bottoms knowing that Michonne was in his top. He sat on his side of the bed which faced the bathroom waiting for her to finish her nightly routine with bated breath.

Michonne knows that he's waiting for her to have this necessary conversation. Rick always knows how to make up for his short comings and this evening was no different. He is such an amazing father and husband, and never intentionally puts his family second to KC and his job, but it hurts no less when it happens, no matter his intentions. After her brushing she proceeds to lather in cocoa butter to maintain her smooth skin and rubs down her belly in coconut oil to help prevent stretch marks. "Well let's get this over with" she says to herself as she opens the bathroom door to see him sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for her.

"I-I'm sorry…" he begins.

"I know you are" she adds.

"I love you" he tries to soften her mood some more. 

"I love you too…but Rick, this can't continue. We are about to be parents of four kids, and I can't do this on my own, I won't." she pleads.

"Baby, I know. You know I'm with you." He beckons her over to sit in his lap. Once in his lap he places one arm lovingly around her back and places the other over their growing bundle. "There is no excuse, I know that. I could apologize until I'm blue in the face, and I will until you forgive me, if that's what it takes…" he adds with a smirk at his lame attempt to lighten the mood. She nudges him with her shoulder as she wraps her arms around his neck to be closer to him. He tightens his hold on her and continues to rub circles on her back and belly admiringly.

"I never want to disappoint you, you know that. Part of that was becoming Sheriff so I could provide for you and our children. I guess we didn't realize how much time it would take up".

"You know you could never disappointment me when it comes to providing for our family. I know how hard you worked for this, but at what cost Rick? You've missed more events than I can count at this point. The one thing you don't want to do, you've ended up doing babe".

"What would you have me do baby? What's it going to take to make you more comfortable and make this better for us?"

"I think that's something only you can decide…I don't want you to resent me for making you prioritize us over something that you've worked so hard for. You have to be the one to find your balance, just like I had to".

It's easy for Rick being an alpha male to forget that he found the alpha of all females in his beautiful wife. Michonne was a kick ass lawyer before they met and helped him raise Carl before they were even officially together. Once they got together, she balanced working towards becoming the DA of KC, raising Carl, loving Rick, and planning a wedding. Once they were married, she added helping him campaign for Sheriff to her plate, and then becoming pregnant with RJ, four years later, Judith was on her way. While Rick was just trying to manage, she was continuously adding more and more to her plate without breaking a sweat. He continuously finds himself staring at her wondering how she manages it all.

It's in this moment, that Rick realizes more than ever he has to make changes. He has to figure out his work life balance, especially before the new baby arrives.

"I'll meet with my deputies on Monday to let them know that I'm gonna disperse the workload a little bit, give out some more responsibility" he states more to himself than to her, but she's there to support his decision no less.

"You sure?" she asks tentatively.

"You. Our children. This new baby. Our family, that's my priority. I won't make you do this alone anymore. It'll be an adjustment having people help take some load off, but it'll be worth it".

"I love you" she responds with a smile.

"I love you" he gives her a chaste kiss which quickly deepens. "Wait, wait" he pleads "I have bone to pick with you…" he eyes her.

"What?" she asks bothered.

"You called me old earlier…I believe your exact words were "when you agreed to marry my old ass" he pouts.

Michonne can't help but laugh. Rick's aging ways has always been a soft spot for him. It doesn't help that he's graying out in his hair and beard, but she always lets him know how sexy it makes him.

"Aweee babe, I was upset. You know you are still the sexiest man I've ever met, no matter how old you look" she jokes as she laughs.

"Oh, is that so?" he begins to tickle her, "well you know my old ass can still wear your ass out" he looks at her with that look that instantly let's her know of the mood shift in their room.

"Is the door locked?" she asks as she shifts her body to straddle his lap instantly feeling his hardness.

"Absolutely"


End file.
